Kratom is the common name for Mitragyna speciosa, a tropical tree from Southeast Asia and products made from its leaves. You may see it as powder, capsules, tea, tablets, gummies, liquid shots, or extracts; the important first distinction is between ordinary leaf-based kratom and products with added or concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH).
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| What it is | A Southeast Asian tree, Mitragyna speciosa, and products made from its leaves. |
| Main alkaloids | Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) are the two most studied compounds. |
| Is it an opioid? | Kratom is not federally scheduled as an opioid, but its key alkaloids interact with mu-opioid receptors. |
| FDA position | FDA has not approved kratom or its compounds for any medical use and warns consumers about kratom. |
| 7-OH distinction | Natural leaf contains 7-OH in trace amounts; FDA warns specifically about products with added or enhanced 7-OH. |
| Before buying | Check your state and local rules, the product label, and the seller’s batch-specific lab report. |
What is kratom made of?
Kratom comes from the leaves of a tree in the coffee family. The tree grows in Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, and other parts of Southeast Asia. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s October 2025 fact sheet says kratom has at least 54 identified alkaloids, which are naturally occurring plant chemicals.
The two names you will see most often are mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, often shortened to 7-OH. DEA describes mitragynine as the most abundant alkaloid, at about 66% of total alkaloid content in its fact sheet, while 7-OH is a minor alkaloid at less than 2%. The FDA’s kratom page likewise describes 7-OH as a naturally occurring minor constituent of natural kratom leaf.
The label matters because “kratom” can describe very different retail formats. Leaf powder and capsules may contain ground leaf. An extract, liquid, gummy, tablet, or shot may have a different ingredient profile and may list alkaloid amounts in a different way. Read the entire panel rather than relying on a color name, strain name, or marketing phrase.
Is kratom an opioid or a narcotic?
Kratom is not federally scheduled as a controlled substance or listed chemical under the Controlled Substances Act, according to the DEA’s October 2025 kratom fact sheet. The DEA calls it a drug of concern and says it has no legitimate medical use in the United States.
That federal classification answer is different from the chemistry answer. Mitragynine and 7-OH interact with mu-opioid receptors in the brain. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says kratom can produce opioid- and stimulant-like effects, and that both of these compounds activate mu-opioid receptors. This is why people often compare kratom with opioids, even though calling every kratom product an opioid can miss important differences in plant material, formulation, and alkaloid content.
“Narcotic” is a loose everyday term, not a useful label for deciding what is in a package. A clearer question is: what does the label say the product contains, and does it identify mitragynine, 7-OH, or an extract? That wording gives you something concrete to compare across products.
What are kratom’s street names?
The DEA fact sheet lists Thang, Kakuam, Thom, Ketum, and Biak as street names for kratom. “Ketum” is also a name you may encounter in Southeast Asian discussions of the plant. In U.S. shopping results, products are more often identified by form, vein color, or strain-style names such as Maeng Da, Bali, Thai, Malay, Borneo, red, green, and white.
Those retail names are not a substitute for an ingredient list. If you are sorting through the terminology, this site’s strain guide explains the common color and strain names, while the product package should tell you what is actually being sold.
Why do people use kratom?
People in Southeast Asia have used kratom leaves for centuries. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says people traditionally chewed leaves or made tea, including in work and social settings. NIDA says people report using kratom for reasons that include fatigue, pain, mental-health problems, and drug-withdrawal symptoms.
Those reports explain why someone might search for kratom, but they are not medical approval. FDA has not approved kratom or its compounds for any medical use and continues to warn consumers about it. NIDA says researchers are studying kratom and related compounds, including possible medicinal uses, while NCCIH says kratom has not been shown safe and effective for any medical use.
If your question is specifically whether kratom can be used for anxiety, the answer is no as a medical treatment: FDA has not approved it for anxiety, and FDA says there are no 7-OH products it has found safe and effective for anxiety or any other use. A clinician can help with questions about anxiety or prescribed medicines.
What does research say about mitragynine and 7-OH?
Mitragynine and 7-OH are the most studied kratom-related compounds. NIDA says mitragynine is found in kratom leaves and breaks down into 7-OH after digestion. Both activate mu-opioid receptors. NIDA also notes that mitragynine may bind to adrenergic, serotonin, and dopamine receptors, which researchers are studying as part of the broader picture of how kratom compounds act in the body.
FDA draws a sharp line between trace 7-OH that occurs in leaf and products made with added or enhanced 7-OH. FDA says 7-OH has substantially greater mu-opioid receptor potency than mitragynine and that concentrated 7-OH products can include tablets, gummies, drink mixes, and shots. This is not a label detail to skip.
FDA has recommended scheduling certain 7-OH products, issued warning letters over products containing 7-OH, and, in December 2025, announced the seizure of about 73,000 units of 7-OH products from three Missouri firms. FDA described those products as foods and dietary supplements containing concentrated 7-OH as an added ingredient. FDA’s consumer update says consumers should avoid products containing 7-OH and describes them as novel potent opioid products.
Human research on kratom’s short-term and long-term health effects remains limited.
What forms of kratom are sold?
Kratom is sold in several formats, which is useful for recognizing what you are looking at on a shelf or product page. NIDA describes common use of raw plant matter in capsule or powder form, powder mixed into food or drinks, leaf tea, and liquid extract. Sellers also market tablets, gummies, shots, and tinctures.
| Format | What it usually means | What to read on the label |
|---|---|---|
| Powder | Ground leaf material. | Ingredients, net weight, batch identification, and lab-report access. |
| Capsules | Powder or another kratom preparation enclosed in capsules. | Ingredient list, count, total contents, and whether it is leaf or extract. |
| Tea or tea bags | Leaf prepared as a beverage or bagged leaf material. | All ingredients and whether other botanicals are included. |
| Tablets and gummies | Processed, packaged products that may contain leaf, extract, or added ingredients. | Exact kratom-related ingredients and any 7-OH listing. |
| Liquid, tincture, or shot | A liquid preparation that may be an extract or blend. | Ingredient panel, alkaloid information, and whether 7-OH is added or enhanced. |
| Extract or enhanced product | A concentrated preparation rather than ordinary ground leaf. | How the product identifies its kratom compounds; do not assume it is comparable to leaf powder. |
A “kratom drink” can mean brewed leaf tea, a powder mixed into a drink, or a ready-to-drink liquid product. The term alone does not tell you whether it contains ordinary leaf material, an extract, added ingredients, or concentrated 7-OH. The ingredient panel is the answer.
Is kratom similar to CBD, delta-9, coffee, or prescription opioids?
Kratom is not CBD and it is not delta-9 THC. CBD is a cannabinoid, delta-9 THC is the main intoxicating cannabinoid in cannabis, and kratom is a botanical whose best-known alkaloids are mitragynine and 7-OH. They are different plant compounds, subject to different rules, and they should not be treated as interchangeable products.
Kratom is botanically related to coffee, according to NCCIH and DEA, but that does not make it equivalent to coffee. The comparison ends at the plant family. The more relevant scientific comparison is that kratom’s key alkaloids interact with mu-opioid receptors; NIDA says the effects only partially compare with opioids such as heroin or oxycodone. FDA and DEA both describe opioid-receptor activity when discussing kratom and 7-OH.
| What people compare | How it differs from kratom | Best question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| CBD | CBD is a cannabinoid; kratom’s best-known compounds are alkaloids. | What is the active ingredient and what rules apply where you live? |
| Delta-9 THC | Delta-9 is a cannabis cannabinoid; kratom is not cannabis. | Does the package list kratom, cannabinoids, or both? |
| Coffee | They share a plant family, not the same principal compounds or product category. | What compounds does the product identify? |
| Prescription opioids | Kratom is not federally scheduled as an opioid, though key alkaloids act at mu-opioid receptors. | Is the concern medical care, medication interaction, or a retail-product label? |
There is no meaningful “stronger than CBD” answer because strength depends on what effect, compound, product form, and measurement you mean. Compare ingredients and product type instead of treating different categories as a single scale.
What are the bad side effects of kratom?
NIDA lists nausea, constipation, dizziness, and drowsiness among reported mild side effects. It also describes case reports involving confusion, tremors, seizures, high blood pressure, slow breathing, nausea and vomiting, and liver problems. NCCIH similarly lists nausea, constipation, dizziness, and drowsiness, with rare serious reports including seizures, high blood pressure, and liver problems.
FDA warns consumers not to use kratom because of serious adverse events that include liver toxicity, seizures, and substance use disorder. FDA also says it has warned about kratom products contaminated with Salmonella or concerning levels of heavy metals. That is why a label and a batch-specific report matter: they let you see what the seller says was tested for and which batch the document applies to.
For 7-OH products, FDA lists reports of addiction, anxiety, depression, gastrointestinal distress, insomnia, seizures, and withdrawal symptoms. FDA says a person experiencing an adverse event from a 7-OH product can contact Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222; call 911 if someone is unresponsive.
Is kratom safe?
There is no single safety answer for every kratom product. NIDA says effects may vary with product potency, formulation, other drugs in a person’s system, medical conditions, and prior experience, and it notes that some products have contained contaminants. NCCIH says harmful contaminants, including heavy metals and disease-causing bacteria, have been found in some kratom products.
Mixing substances is especially important to take seriously. NIDA says case reports suggest kratom used with other drugs may be linked to severe adverse effects. Do not use kratom as a replacement for medical care or make changes to prescribed medication without talking to the clinician who manages it.
The CDC’s 2019 analysis found kratom detected in 152 of 27,338 overdose deaths reported through its system in 27 states from July 2016 through December 2017; multiple substances were detected in almost all of those cases. The CDC report gives the period, method, and co-occurring-substance context behind those figures.
DEA gives additional figures in its October 2025 fact sheet: America’s Poison Centers’ 2023 annual report listed 1,489 kratom case mentions, 880 single exposures, 671 cases involving treatment in a health-care facility, and five deaths. DEA also says FDA’s adverse-event reporting data listed kratom as co-involved in 1,486 cases from 2008 through 2025, with 1,387 classified as serious and 715 involving death.
Is kratom legal where you live?
At the federal level, DEA says kratom is not a controlled substance or listed chemical under the Controlled Substances Act. FDA’s separate position is that kratom is not lawfully marketed in the United States as a drug product, dietary supplement, or food additive in conventional food.
Laws differ by state, and some states, cities, and counties ban or restrict kratom or its alkaloids; check the current law where you live before ordering because this is not legal advice. FDA says state health and law-enforcement agencies are the best resource for applicable state laws.
What does Super Speciosa offer, and what should you check?
Super Speciosa is a kratom vendor. Its product pages list powders, capsules, tablets, tea bags, gummies, liquids, shots, tinctures, and extracts, along with strain-style categories and color categories. The seller says it provides lab reports for batches and says its powders are finely milled, gently pasteurized, and tested for quality; those are the seller’s statements, not an endorsement or certification by this site.
The seller says it makes products in an FDA-registered, GMP-qualified facility. FDA’s and DEA’s positions apply to Super Speciosa products like any other kratom product.
The seller says its shop includes a 30-day customer-satisfaction guarantee and publishes shipping restrictions. If you want to see current products, price, availability, lab-report access, shipping limits, return terms, or contact options before you order, use the seller’s Product Page.
How do you read a kratom label or lab report?
Start with the basic product identity: leaf powder, capsule, extract, liquid, gummy, tablet, tea, or shot. Then read every ingredient. A label that makes clear whether it contains kratom leaf, extract, other botanicals, or 7-OH gives you a better starting point than a broad flavor, color, or strain name.
Next, look for a batch or lot identifier and match it to the seller’s lab-report system. A useful report should identify the product or batch it applies to and identify the testing categories the seller says it covers. If a report is not clearly connected to the package you are considering, ask the seller for the current batch information before ordering.
For a beginner-level explanation of retail strain vocabulary, see choosing your first strain. That guide is useful for recognizing the names you may encounter, but it does not replace reading the label for the specific product in front of you.
Before you order
- Check current state, city, and county rules where you live.
- Confirm whether the product is leaf-based, an extract, or contains added or enhanced 7-OH.
- Read the full ingredient panel rather than relying on a strain-style name.
- Match any lab report to the exact product and batch.
- Read the seller’s current shipping and return terms before checkout.
- Ask a clinician about a medication-interaction question before you make a decision.
By UltimateKratom.com Research Desk